Trip means for safety control devices and the like



Jan. 25, 1944. .J. H. THORNBERY ET AL 934@,234%

TRIP MEANS FOR SAFETY CONTROL DEVICES AND THE LIKE Filed July 10, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Jan. 25, 1944 I 2,340,234. TRIP MEANS roa'sara'rr CONTROL navrcas arm 'rnn 1.11m

John H. Thornbery and Theodore a. weuel, Milwaukee, Wis assignors to Milwaukee Gas Sp ciaity Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin I Application July 10, 193s, serial No. 283,572

Claims. (Cl. 158-117-1) less diagrammatic section showing another arrangement of the thermo-electric current and This invention relates, generally, to control devices, and has particular relation to a safety control' device for, burners and-the like whereby a valve in the gas or other fuel supply line is-held open, for example-when a pilot flame is burning. and is closed when the pilot flame goes out.

Thermo-electric safety controls having an electromagnet provided with'an armature connected to a controlling member, such as a valve or an electric switch for controlling a solenoid valve or the like and a thermocouple adapted to be subjected to the heat of the pilot flame and electrically connected with the electromagnetwherebythe armature and controlling mem berf are held'in operating position by the thermoelectric current flowing through the electromagnet when the thermocouple isheated by the pilot pilot flame, the controlling member is released and moves to retracted position for shutting off the flow of fuel to the burner-have been provided heretofore in the art.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved means for tripping'the thermo-electric control device'to release the'controlling member for movement to retracted position.

Another and more speciflc obie ct is to provide trip means that-is operable to cancel cut, shortcircuit, or reduce the magnetic attraction set up by the thermo-electric current so that the same the burner. I

flame but in which, on extinguishment of the Another objector the present invention is to provide trip means of the character above set safety control device as desired.

trip coils embodying the present invention;

Figure 4 is a more or less'diagrammatic perspective view showing another form oi thermoelectric current energizedelectromagnet and trip means embodying the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary'and more or less diagrammatic view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring flrst to Figure 1 of the, drawings, the burner III is any suitable or preferred main burner. and the conduit Ii is the fuel supply conduit therefor. The fuel may be gaseou fuel, oil, or any other desired, fuel. Where the fuel is a gaseous-fuel the burner I0 is preferably fed from the conduit Ii by the usual feed pipe l2 to which air is admitted, in the usual way, at I 3.

Located in lighting proximity to the main burner leis the usual or any suitable or preferred pilot burner, indicated more or less diagrammatically at H, which pilot burner is adapted to remain lighted for the purpose of relighting the main burner in upon extinguishmentthereof. The pilot burner i4 is supplied with gaseous fuel by a tube ll connected to the thermo-electric safety device, as will hereinafter appear.

As set forth herein, the thermo-Jectric safety device maybe in the form of a valve, switch, or other cnotrol means. The particular device shown in the drawings is a thermo-electric safety valve designated in its entirety at it, and of th character shown and described in'the copendin application of Henry F. Alfery, Serial No: 186,967, filed January-26, 1938, now Patent No. 2,267,909. It comprises a valve casing 20 (Figure 2) connected intothe conduit II and divided'internally Further objects and advantages of the invendiagrammatic view showing an embodiment of the present invention in a main burner and pilot.

burner fuel supply system;

Figure 2 is'a vertical section through the therembodiment of the present invention in connection in connection therewith; a

. Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail and more or mo-electric safety shut-off valve showing an by a partition wall 2| into an inlet chamber 22 and an outlet chamber 23. The partition 2| has a valve opening 24 provided on the inlet side with a surrounding valve seat 25. The flow of gaseous fuel through the valve opening 24 is controlled by a valve member '28 preferably provided with a suitable valve seating member 21 of yielding character that is secured to valve member 26 by a screw 28 and engages the valve seat 26 when the valve is closed.

Mounted upon the top-of the valve body 20 is a housing comprising a downwardly opening cupshaped shell 30 and an upwardly opening cupshaped shell 8|. The shell 30 has an enlarged lower end fitting telescopically over the enlarged upper end of the shell 3|. The lower end of the shell 30 has an outwardly extending annular flange and the two shells are clamped in place to the top of the valve body by a nut member 35, a suitable sealing gasket being preferably provided as indicated at 38.

A generally U-shaped magnet frame member 7 is mounted in the shell or hood member 80.

and this magnetic frame member 4. is provided with an electromagnetic coil indicated at 4!. The coil 4| surrounds one of the legs of the magnetic frame member 40, and one terminal of the coil is connected at 42 to a terminal stud 43. The other terminal of the coil 4| is connected at 44 'to a metallic terminal plate 45. The stud 43 The free ends of the magnetic frame member. 40 constitute pole faces, and the magnet armature I3 is held against these pole faces by the ing inthe plate member 4| and is electrically connected thereto. The stud 43 is insulated from the bushing 48, and the connection at 42 between the coil and the stud 43 is insulated from the terminal plate 4! and bushing 48 at and 51. The terminal of the coil 4] which is connected to the terminal stud 43, is clamped in place between the I insulation-at I1 and the contact washer II, the

lower end of the stand 43 being headed or riveted over at 54. The plate member 4! provides sup- I a port for the magnetic frame 40 which is secured thereto in any suitable or desired manner.

The thermocouple, indicated at 18, may be of any existing or other suitable or preferred formfor example, of the type disclosed and claimed in magnetic field produced in the frame 4| by the thermo-electric current set up in the coil 41 due to the action of the heat of the pilot flame on the hot junction II of the thermocouple when the pilot flame is burning. The armature 83 has attached thereto by upwardly extending bent-over portions '4 a cradle ll which, in turn. is connected to the upper end of the valve stem 88-, preferably for limited universal movement by means of U-shaped retainers l'l engaging in grooves in the upper end of the stem 86. The armature I3 is guided for reciprocating movement. by an armature guide 48,

Y and the valve member 28 is connected to the valve body 20 into the enclosure formed by the Oscar- J.- Leins Patent No. 2,126,564, patented I August 9, 1938. The hot junction ll of the thermocouple is disposed in proximity to the pilot burner l4 so as to be responsive. to the heat of .the pilot flame for the main burner ll at all times. ,7 One element of the'thermocouple, i. e., the internal element of the thermocouple of the character set forth in the Leins patent, is Joined to the lead wire I! (Figure 2) which constitutes one part of the lead connection between the coil 4i and the thermocouple. The other part of the lead connection comprises a metallic tube I3 connected to the other element of the thermocouple,

i. e., to the external thermocoupleelement where the thermocouple is of the character set forth in the Leins patent. The lead tube 18 is insulated from the lead wire 12 by the insulation on this wire, as indicated at 14.,

The metallic tube II enters and is connected at toa metallic thimble member 16 having threaded engagement with I the externally threaded end of the terminal bushing 40. The adjacent end of the-lead wire I! has metallic connection at I! with a terminal member H.

The terminal member 11 has a conical end ll which seats in a recess of corresponding conical form in the outer end of the terminal stud 43 s and forms a metallic contact between the member 11 and stud 43. Terminal member I1 may be held centered in the thimble 18 by a centering member '0 fitting within the thimble and engaging theupper end of the member 11 as shown. suitable insulation ispreferably provided as indicated at II, and the conical end of the terminal I1 is clamped in contact with the conical recess surface of the stud 43 by the thimble 1!.

From the foregoing description and the drawings it will now be apparent that one element 0! the thermocouple 10, i. e., the internal eleshells I0 and 3| by suitable packing indicated at I2. A washer is provided at N, and surrounding the valve stem '6 and interposed between the washer II and the valve member II is a gener-' ally conically coiled spring ,l4. This spring 04 compresses the packing O2, and when the coil 4| is deenergized the spring l4 moves the valve member 2 to. closed position against the seat Il to shut off the supply of gaseousfuel to the main burner II.

For the purposeof resetting the device arm- I the coil 4i is deenergized and the valve :0 closed,

a resetting stem I" is mounted for sliding movement in the valve body 10 in axial alignment with the valve opening 24. Secured upon the lower end of the stem Ill is a resetting button Ill, and fixed upon the upper end ofthe stem is a valve member I02. The valve member III has a valve seating, surface ill which engages an annular valve seat I04 to prevent leakage of gas through the opening I" in which the stem Ill operates. This opening Ill is additionally sealed against leakage of gas by suitable packing indicated at I". A washer is provided at Ill, and surrounding the stem ill! and interposed between the washer ill and the resetting button Iii is a coil spring I" which holds the valve member I02 against the seat "4 and the button ill in the position shown.

The valve member I02 has upstanding lugs ill which, in the resetting operation, engine the valve member 28 and force the same to open position away from its seat II and the armature I} into engagement with the pole faces of the magnet frame 40' against the tension of the spring 94., The lugs Ill may have sliding'movement in the valve opening 24 for the purpose of guiding the valve member I02 and resetting stem member illlpreferably shuts oif, "&

into contact with the m net frame til, the valve substantially shuts oil, the flow of;gas eous fuel through the valve opening. eliminates the possible how of gaseous fuelto the main burner III until the pilot burner is ignitedand'the coil I is energized to hold the, armature 33 against the magnet frame I and the valve 28 in open position.

The valve body 20 has a passageway II2 connected to the tube, or gas supply line I! for delivering gaseous fuel to the pilot burner Il. This passageway II: by-passesthe valve member I02 when the valve II! is in raised position, shutting off, or substantially shutting off, the now of present invention, and, as already pointed out,

the safety shut-oifdevice may be in the form' of a thermo-electrically controlled switch instead of in the .form of a valve or of other desired character within thescope of the broader aspects of our present invention.

The means for tripping the thermo-electric safety control device I8 comprises a trip coil I30 surrounding the other leg of the magnet member 40. The terminals of the coil I30 are connected by conductors I3I and I32 to a suitable source of current-for example, through a transformer I33 to an alternating current circuit I33. The circuit I33 may, for example, be'analternating current lighting circuit or any other alternating,

current circuit supplied by a suitable source of alternating current (not shown). although, of course, a direct current tripping circuit may be employed within the scope of the present invention. a

The cells I and I30 are so wound and so connected that when both coils ll and I30 areenergized, release of the armature" results. The pulsating nature of the alternating current pro- I vides an instantaneous condition in the magnet frame 40, which permits the spring 34 to retract the armature II3 sufficiently to provide an instantaneous increase in the air gap to the armature. This precludes further attraction of the armature to the magnet frame 30, which results in release of the armature and movement ofthe same to retracted position. rgiaation of the trip coil I30 is controlled a y, b ggwit n a inthe circuit including the conductors I3I and I32.

In any case, the switch I38 is adapted to be arranged for operation remote from the safety control device or from position adjacent or in close proximity to the safety control device, as

desired.

lnligll're 2, the terminal leads of the trip coil I I30a're indicated at I30 and Ill. [The bared outer ends ofetheseleads are securetLfor example, in metallic connector sleeves I43 in'relectric contact therewith. The connector sleeves I42 are fixed in an insulating bushing I, that, in turn, is fixed threaded engagement with the external threads on the bushing I. The conductors "I and I33, which may be insulated'and stranded togather at I38, have their bared ends secured in the outer ends of the connector sleeves I42 in electric contact therewith, and are electrically connected with the terminal leads I33 and Ill through the sleeves I42. The conductors I3I and I32 may be detachably secured in place in the sleeves III by screws I33. A closure cap I33 encloses the connection thus afforded. and has threaded engagement with the metal bushing I, and also has an opening for the entry ofthe conductors I3I and I32.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired to ignite or reignite the main burner III with the parts positioned as shown in Figure 2.

the resetting button IN is manually pushed upstem I00 the valve I02 shuts off, or substantially g5 shuts off, the flow of gaseous fuel to the main burner I0 to prevent the escape of gaseous fuel from the main'burnerduring the resetting operation.

The valve member 33 is open, however. at this time, and the passageway III by-passing the valve It: sets up the desired supply of gaseous fuel through the'tube I! to the pilot burner Il where it can be ignited as it issues from the pilot burner by applying a match or otherwise as desired. The resulting pilot flame energizes the thermocouple Ill, creating a theme-electric current which energizes the coil 4i and causes the armature 33 to be held against the magnet frame 46 and the valve to be held in open position against the tension of the spring". when the coil 3| is so energized to hold the valve 2! open, I the resetting button IIII is released and the spring I03 movesthe resetting stem downwardly to the position shown in Figure 2, and with-it the III! to' open position.

The gaseous fuel then flows through the valve opening 24 and out through the fuel suppl'yline to the feed pipe to which air is admitted and the gaseous mixture enters the main burner II where I4 as it issues from the ports of the main burner.

In case the main burner I0 is accidentally extinguished, the pilot burner Il will reignite the same, and thereby assures that the main burner is lighted so long as the valve-20 is open.

If the pilot burner is extinguished, the thermoelectric current through the coil II diminishes to such a de'gree'that the armature is released, whereupon the spring 93 forces the valve member by shutting off the flow of fuel to the main burner II. and, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, to the pilot burner I l.

' On the other hand, with the pilot burner I4- ignited and the valve 28 held open by the thermoelectric current developed by the pilot-burner,

closing of thetrip switch I38 manually or autopressure energizes the trip coil I30. The energization of thisooil itll'produces an instantaneous condition in the magnet frame ll which results in release of the armature 33 and movement of the valve member 28 to closed or retracted' position by the spring 34. As soon as the switch I36 is opened, the theme-electrically valve an ignited by the pilot flame at the pilot burner.

2 into engagement with the valve seat 33, therematicaily at a predetermined temperature or- ..controlled device may be resetas previously described.

energization of the coil I38a releases the armature 83a and the valve member 28a is moved to retracted or closed position against the valve seat 25a. The terminal leads for the thermoelectric coil IIa are indicated at I12, and the terminal leads for the trip coil I38a are indicated at I13. r

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 4, the magnet frame member ;of the electromagnet I15 has a web portion I11 with a pair of downwardly extending legs I18 at one end and a pair of upwardly extending legs I18 at the opposite end, providing, in effect, a pair of connected and reversely positioned U-shaped portions. The thermo-electric coil I88, which is connected by leads I8I to a thermocouple such as that illustrated at 18 in Figure 1, is wound around the web portion [11 of the magnet frame. Upon. energization of the thermo-electric coil I88, magnetic lines of force are produced forming unlike poles at the free ends of the legs I18.

The magnetic attraction thus produced will hold the armature I82 in position attracted to the magnet frame and the connected valve I83 in open position or other controlling member, ir attracted position. i

A short-circuit or bridge member I85 carried by a stem I88 provided with a button or fingerpiece I81 is adapted to be pressed manually or otherwise into bridging engagement with the legs I18 of the magnet frame, and in this position bridges or short-circuits the magnet, fiux set up by the thermo-electric current so that it is reduced sufiiciently to release the armature I82, and .the valve, switch, or other device is thereupon moved to retracted position, for example by -a spring I88. A spring I88 may be provided for projecting the short-circuiting or bridging member I85 out of bridging relation with respect to the legs I18 upon completion of the tripping operation, or the bridge member I88 may be moved manually or otherwise out of bridging position.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the thermo-eiectric current coil 288 and tripping coil 282 are wound one about the other and so connected that the tripping coil 282, upon energization, sets up lines of force in opposition to the lines of force set up by the thermo-electric current coil 288 for the purpose of tripping the device. I

The embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be expressly understood that said drawings and the accompanying specification are not to be construed as a definition of the limits or scope of the invention, reference being had to the'appended claims for that purpose.

We claim:

ii In a fuel supply safety control system, a

main burner, a fuel supply pipe leading to said burner, a valve member in said pipe, an igniter for saidmain burner, a thermoelectric generator adapted to be, energized by the igniter, a magnet frame, a'coilzwoundon said magnet frame and connected in circuit with said thermoelectric generator, an armature connected to the valve member and adapted to be held attracted to said magnet frame to hold said valve member open when said coil is energized by said thermoelectric generatona separate trip coil wound on said magnet frame; a-oonstantly available source of current separate from said thermoelectric generator and the circuit therefor and in circuit with said trip coilffor e'nergizin'g said trip coil to reduce the effectivemagnetic attraction produced in said magnet frame by said first coil, and switchmeans"controlling the circuit forsaid trip coil'independently of the position of said armature, said last mentioned circuit being open whenever said armature is held in attracted position by energization of said first coil;

2. ma fuel supply safety control system, a main burner, a fuel supplypipe leading to said I burner, a valve member in said pipe, a pilot (iii burner for said main burner, a thermoelectric device controllingsaid valve member comprising a generally U-shaped magnet framehaving a coil wound about one leg thereof, a thermocouple placed in position to be heated by said pilot burner and connected in circuit with said coil, an armature connected to said valve member adapted when attracted to said magnet frame to maintain said valve member in open-position and adapted to be retracted for movement of said valve member to closed position, a separate trip coil wound about the other leg of said magnet frame and adapted when energized to reduce the effective magnetic attraction produced in said magnet frame bysaid first coil, a constantly available source of electric currentconnected in circuit with said trip coil independently of said thermocouple and the circuit connections between said thernibcouple and said first coil, and

switch means controlling said trip coil circuit independtntly of the direct heat produced by said main burner and independently of said armature.

3. In a fuel supply safety control system, a main burner, a fuel supply pipe leading to said burner, a valve member in said pipe, apilot burner for said main burner, a thermoelectric device controlling said valve member comprising a magnet frame having a core and a coil wound about said core, a thermocouple positioned to be heated by said pilot burner and connected in circuit with said coil, an armature connected to said valve memberadapted to be held attracted to said magnet frame and to maintain said valve member in open position upon energization of said coil and movable to retracted position for movement of said valve member to closed position, a separate trip coiLWouridabGut' the core of said magnet frame and 'adaptedwhe'n' energized to reduce the effective magnetic attraction energizing coil, a thermoelectric generator disposed to be heated by said igniter and connected in circuit with said coil, an armature connected to said valve member adapted to be held attracted to said electromagnet upon energization of said coil to maintain said valve member in open position and movable to retracted position for movement of said valve member to closed position, and release means operable independently of said amiature and of the circuit of said coil and the circuit connections between said coil and said thermocouple for reducing the effective magnetic attraction of said electromagnet for said armature sufllciently to permit the latter to move to retracted position.

5. In a fuel supply safety control system, a main burner, a fuel supply pipe leading to said burner, a valve member in said pipe, an igniter for said burner, means controlling said valve member comprising an electromagnet having-an energizing coil, to. thermoelectric generator disposed to be heated by said igniter and connected in circuit with said coil, an armature connected to said valve member adapted to be held attracted to said electromagnet upon energization. of said coil to maintain said valve member in open position and movable to retracted position for movement of said valve member to closed position, and release means operable independlatter to move to retracted position, said release means comprising a bridging member normally in inoperative position and movable therefrom to an operative position eflfective for diverting from said armature a substantial portion of the magnetic flux of said electromagnet.

JOHN H. THORNBERY. THEODORE A. WETZEL. 

